Coffee is pretty much everybody’s favourite go-to drink first thing in the morning, even before the day starts or each time, a boost of energy is required.
However, a gut expert has warned that this caffeine-induced beverage can be detrimental to your health if consumed on empty stomach, the Daily Mail reports.
Coffee is acidic and therefore it is tough on an empty stomach informs Olivia Hedlund, the functional nutritional therapist behind Livingwell.
She is also reported to have said that caffeine can cause major issues for your gut and hormones.
Additionally, she states that consuming coffee can cause the body to go into high stress mode, and wreak havoc on your hormones.
The expert is quoted as saying, ‘If you drink coffee first thing on an empty stomach, stop what you’re doing and listen. You are messing with your hormones.’
‘Coffee is not only acidic, so it’s hard on our stomach in the morning, but it literally causes our bodies to go into a stress response, to shoot out cortisol, and to put us in kind of a fight or flight state.’
According to experts, cortisol which is known as the stress hormone can also negatively impact hormonal balance, weight, and ovulation.
It also makes us feel naturally alert.
The nutritionist explains that the stress response the body experiences is what causes jitters and shakes after drinking coffee. It is also responsible for that ‘really good feeling where we feel like we can conquer the world.’
However, in the long run, the good feeling tends to take a toll on the body, especially in the case of women and even for those with hormonal imbalances and gut issues.
Therefore, instead of drinking coffee first thing in the morning, the expert recommends eating eggs, raw dairy, gelatin gummies, and stewed fruits like pears, apples, or berries.
Apparently, the habit of drinking coffee on an empty stomach can also cause hormonal issues like acne.
Speaking about how she transformed her lifestyle over the past five years to heal her skin and leaky gut, Olivia states, ‘I used to drink multiple cups of coffee on an empty stomach, feel like I was on top of the world, and then I would have a bunch of hormonal acne and wonder why.’
‘It’s because your body is stressed out. Have something small before you have a coffee, make it your goal. I promise you will notice a difference,’ she said.
Olivia’s top tips for healthy hormones
• Swap your coffee for a healthy alternative such as dandelion root
• Go for a walk after every meal
• Drink more matcha tea (green tea leaves with no chemicals)
• Do lower-intensity workouts such as hot yoga, walking, and weight lifting
• Eat low-glycemic index fruits for less effect on blood sugar levels, within one hour of waking up. Some low-GI fruits include apples, dates, pears, peaches, bananas, grapes, etc.
• Try adrenal cocktails – four ounces orange juice, four ounces aloe juice or coconut water, plain water, coconut cream an,d sea salt.
A list of some gut disruptors you should strive to avoid:
• Refined sugar and foods that are processed
• Exposure to glyphosate (herbicide for weed control) and pesticides
• Environmental toxins (man-made hazardous substances)
• Exposure to household chemicals and toxins (like disinfectant and bleaches, drain cleaners, floor polish, etc.)
• Chronic stress
• Oral contraception
